A shipbuilding center beginning in the 17th century, the Kennebunks (the official name for the towns of Kennebunkport, Cape Porpoise, Goose Rocks Beach, and Kennebunk) have since enjoyed an affair with prosperity that has hardly diminished. The area’s reputation as a summer playground for well-to-do sailing fiends and families is not undeserved, as any stroll to the beach or wharf will prove.

But the towns are also home to a dedicated population of year-round residents—collectively a population of about 14,000—who make sure the historic homes and sights of the area are kept in excellent shape, and keep the communities themselves a vital place to be any month of the year.

Getting There

For Kennebunkport, take exit 25 off I-95 and drive east on Route 9A (10 mi., 15 min. from Wells). For Old Orchard Beach take exit 36 to I-195 east (25 mi., 30 min. from Wells). For Saco, also take exit 36 to I-195 east but then take exit 2A to Route 1 south (20 mi., 25 min. from Wells).

Amtrak’s Downeaster (800/872-7245, www.thedowneaster.com) train makes stops several times a day in Old Orchard Beach and Saco on its way between Boston and Portland.

The Kennebunks operate trolleys through Intown Trolley (207/967-3638, www.intowntrolley.com, $15 adult, $5 children 3–17, free children under 3, $25 couples) all around Kennebunk and Kennebunkport and their beaches, on a narrated 50-minute loop; fares are good for one whole day, making this a useful option if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing. Shuttle-Bus (207/282-5408, www.shuttlebus-zoom.com) operates buses between and around Saco and Old Orchard Beach, among other points on the Southern Coast. Fares and schedules vary.